2 research outputs found
Influence of sp<sup>3</sup>–sp<sup>2</sup> Carbon Nanodomains on Metal/Support Interaction, Catalyst Durability, and Catalytic Activity for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
In
this work, platinum nanoparticles were impregnated by two different
techniques, namely the carbonyl chemical route and photodeposition,
onto systematically surface-modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes.
The different interactions between platinum nanoparticles with sp<sup>2</sup>–sp<sup>3</sup> carbon nanodomains were investigated.
The oxidation of an adsorbed monolayer of carbon monoxide, used to
probe electronic catalytic modification, suggests a selective nucleation
of platinum nanoparticles onto sp<sup>2</sup> carbon nanodomains when
photodeposition synthesis is carried out. XPS attests the catalytic
center electronic modification obtained by photodeposition. DFT calculations
were used to determine the interaction energy of a Pt cluster with
sp<sup>2</sup> and sp<sup>3</sup> carbon surfaces as well as with
oxidized ones. The interaction energy and electronic structure of
the platinum cluster presents dramatic changes as a function of the
support surface chemistry, which also modifies its catalytic properties
evaluated by the interaction with CO. The interaction energy was calculated
to be 8-fold higher on sp<sup>3</sup> and oxidized surfaces in comparison
to sp<sup>2</sup> domains. Accelerated Stability Test (AST) was applied
only on the electronic-modified materials to evaluate the active phase
degradation and their activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
The stability of photodeposited materials is correlated with the surface
chemical nature of supports indicating that platinum nanoparticles
supported onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes with the highest sp<sup>2</sup> character show the higher stability and activity toward ORR
Spectroelectrochemical Probing of the Strong Interaction between Platinum Nanoparticles and Graphitic Domains of Carbon
This study focuses on clarifying
the strong interaction existing
between extended graphitic domains of ordered carbonaceous materials
such as multiwalled carbon nanotubes and platinum nanoparticles. This
interaction results from the heterogeneous nucleation of platinum
nanoparticles onto the carbon support. The metal clusters are chemically
synthesized by using the carbonyl route. Two different carbon supports
are used namely, homemade multiwalled carbon nanotubes, MWCNT-m, and
classical Vulcan XC-72. Physicochemical properties of these materials
are described by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
(XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of the strong interaction
on the electronic properties of platinum nanoparticles is electrochemically
probed by means of CO stripping experiments coupled with <i>in
situ</i> Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Density
functional theory (DFT) is used to evaluate changes to the electronic
structure of a platinum cluster interacting with a graphite substrate
and their effects on CO adsorption on the cluster. Results are correlated
with structural and electronic properties of platinum nanoparticles.
The stability of Pt/carbon catalysts under electrochemical potential
cycling is correlated with the properties of carbon substrates